Steve the mouth (Albion and Sussex follower

[Richy_Seagull]

I sit in D block and the stewards were a total joke yesterday. It started with 2 of them continually pointing and staring and then calling others over time and time again. They were annoying everybody and spoiled my day. These days you are not allowed to show passion at football, especially Withdean, thats why we only get 6,200 home fans at the place.

The treatment of Mouth was a disgrace and I will be writing to the club to officially complain about the actions and behaviour of the stewards. If the Albion want everyone to sit in silence and politely clap then they can think again as I go along to support my team.

I really F***ing hate Withdean and the stewards and other than the fact that Brighton is my club I would just give up with this sh*t and go watch football where you are allowed to be passionate, have a beer and have a laugh ie non league football. But I support Brighton and CANT and WILL NOT support anyone else! The club need to train the stewards into how to act ie not deliberately wind everyone up and have little ego trips on finding an "incident" so they can use the power they think they have during games. What sad people some of these stewards are, not all of them, but a small minority at Withdean are a disgrace.

Rant over and back to watching the Reading festival on freeview!

Spot on. As much as I can't wait for Falmer, and I really am thankful for the powers at the club for getting to where we are, I have been growing more and more concerned that if the safety officers etc get their way, we are going to be made to sit in silence as if we are watching f***ing horse dressage.

What I just don't understand is why a small group at Withdean are the most unpleasant, power crazy stewards I have seen in the country.

 

[timbha]

The treatment of Mouth was a disgrace and I will be writing to the club to officially complain about the actions and behaviour of the stewards. If the Albion want everyone to sit in silence and politely clap then they can think again as I go along to support my team.

Rant over and back to watching the Reading festival on freeview!

Please please write. I sit in the NS and whilst it's hardly abusive there is a fair amount of bad language from the sponsors, friends of the albion, etc, etc, - you know the blokes in their 40/50s that have put money into the club over the years - and good on them....BUT the stewards wouldn't dare say anything....and the club officials just turn a blind eye.

My daughter sits in the SS and said yesterday's match was spoiled by the Stewards. Nearly every match she comes home giggling about Steve the Mouth and what he'd been up to, shouted and said and how he seems to see a different match from everyone else. But she knows he loves the club and all he is trying to do is to help the Albion win - she loves it when he says hello to her!!

The club needs to know what's going on. Why dont they ring the bloke up the next day and have a quiet word (they know who he is) rather than creating confrontation at the end of the match?

I normally stick up for the stewards (just sit down, don't answer back, etc) but this entire thread (except one stirrer) has been supportive of the fan.

 

[northstandnorth]

The stay aways have got used to not seeing the Albion and most are gonna get a f***ing shock when they see the prices we are paying NOW.Once the novelty of Falmer wears off they aint going to put up with high prices and Jobsworth stewards spoiling their day out.
They will be lost untill we look likely to challenge for promotion.

 

[The Bun Elephant]

These stewards wouldn't have lasted 5-mins back in the eighties

Tip Toe through the North Stand ?

 

[Lord Bamber]

Please please write. I sit in the NS and whilst it's hardly abusive there is a fair amount of bad language from the sponsors, friends of the albion, etc, etc, - you know the blokes in their 40/50s that have put money into the club over the years - and good on them....BUT the stewards wouldn't dare say anything....and the club officials just turn a blind eye.

My daughter sits in the SS and said yesterday's match was spoiled by the Stewards. Nearly every match she comes home giggling about Steve the Mouth and what he'd been up to, shouted and said and how he seems to see a different match from everyone else. But she knows he loves the club and all he is trying to do is to help the Albion win - she loves it when he says hello to her!!

The club needs to know what's going on. Why dont they ring the bloke up the next day and have a quiet word (they know who he is) rather than creating confrontation at the end of the match?

I normally stick up for the stewards (just sit down, don't answer back, etc) but this entire thread (except one stirrer) has been supportive of the fan.

Good post.

 

[cjd]

Look at all my posts so far:

If you don't mind.....I would rather not.


"If you can keep your head when all about you (appear) to be losing theirs....." then maybe...just maybe, Mr.Acker, you have seriously misjudged the situation.

 

[Return of the Rev]

These stewards wouldn't have lasted 5-mins back in the eighties

3 minutes in the seventies

 

[Bozza]

Who provides the stewards now? Who is going to provide them at Falmer?

...and isn't Richard Hebbard going to be stadium manager (or some similar title) at Falmer. As he is at Withdean?

 

[Marc1901]

We all get carried away at times but that's why we love football. I was sat fairly near this guy and apart from the odd F coming from around us (dont even know if it was him - there were a good 5 vocal people) there was nothing offensive atall. It wasn't the family section FFS. Glad this bloke gave them shit back - was brilliant to see!

When i mentioned about being passionate after a game i get called alot of things.

 

[Black Dalek]

The stewards are Rubbish, there's to many, and they make trouble. Steve the Mouth is very passionate and a lovely guy. I know of many incidants when they overeact. I hope we dont loose him as a fan. Withdean is a family atmosphere and it's not needed all that stupid searchin and that. I never been searched going into new Wembley.

 

[Caveman]

I hope someone from the club reads this!

 

[Guy Fawkes]

There is a wide line between ensuring there is no trouble and causing trouble. These idiots well and truly crossed it yesterday. No-one wants to go to a game and be treated like they are under suspicion.

The stewards seem to think they are the main act.

A whole new attitide is needed when those that are meant to be there to protect our safety start causing trouble. A whole new re-think is needed for the Amex. They need to change their outlook.

So do you get so worked up about supermarket employees, etc because your under observation in there? but they have cameras doing the survaillance instead of stewards?

Do you get annoyed walking down a High Street because there are CCTV cameras there too, or is your issue (like many others on here by the sounds of it) with the people watching you actually being visible while doing this role?

Would you get pissed off in a pub if the bar staff were watching you because you were being a bit loud and vocal?

Or it is just because it is a football match and you expect something very different and that rules just don't apply there because someone has brought a ticket?

 

[Guy Fawkes]

But when they spend their time pointing, calling for reinforcements, conferring, sending for the Chief Steward, pointing again, conferring again, doing nothing for ten minutes, conferring again, sending four of their number up two staircases, escorting one person out, conferring again, pointing somewhere else, dispersing, reassembling ....

... it's very intrusive and spoils the game for the hundreds of us who don't want to be watching a performance like that, but have no choice in the matter.

Why not just ignore them and try watching the football instead. I fail to see how a few people doing what they are being paid for can be interpreted as acting inappropriately. When i am at the match i never notice the stewards, i couldn't tell you if they were watching me or not or even how many there were looking at the crowd BECAUSE I AM WATCHING WHAT HAPPENS ON THE PITCH INSTEAD!

Sounds like a lot of people have a real problem with authority, and their the ones who need to change their attitudes, not the stewards.

 

[Scoffers]

I have to say I sit in D block and cannot recollect being stared out by stewards however I saw what happened it was totally over the top and a pointless thing to do.

I sit in D block and the steward frankly got on my tits. Gormless in the extreme, staring behind where I sit, finger pointing for what seemed like ages. They are like tigers stalking their pray, hoping and praying for someone to step out of line.

All the folks around me were (light-heartedly) taking the piss out of the stewards.

Something isn't right, I was fuming when I left.

 

[northstandnorth]

Sounds like a lot of people have a real problem with authority, and their the ones who need to change their attitudes, not the stewards.

or mr fawkes is another steward punting the party line as they always do.

 

[Scoffers]

But when they spend their time pointing, calling for reinforcements, conferring, sending for the Chief Steward, pointing again, conferring again, doing nothing for ten minutes, conferring again, sending four of their number up two staircases, escorting one person out, conferring again, pointing somewhere else, dispersing, reassembling ....

... it's very intrusive and spoils the game for the hundreds of us who don't want to be watching a performance like that, but have no choice in the matter.

Spot on

 

[Guy Fawkes]

or mr fawkes is another steward punting the party line as they always do.

I'm not and never will be a steward.

just someone who can't understand why the stewards are getting so much grief for doing their job? - what they do doesn't affect my enjoyment of the match or diminish the whole Withdean experience for me so i don't get why a crowd of fans being watched by a few stewards is such a big issue to some

 

[cyanide-sid]

I`ll tell you something for nothing and thats that no steward in the 1970`s would have dared waltz into the middle of the north stand and tried to get someone out for a minor misdemeanor. The police thought better of it as well. Many a time a coppers helmet got thrown around the place after a good old 'Knees up Mother Brown'.

 

[mona]

I'm not and never will be a steward.

just someone who can't understand why the stewards are getting so much grief for doing their job? - what they do doesn't affect my enjoyment of the match or diminish the whole Withdean experience for me so i don't get why a crowd of fans being watched by a few stewards is such a big issue to some

As a middle-aged fan I used to take a similar line to you. The stewards at Withdean have become increasingly unpleasant however.

Last season they bullied a group of 16 year old Rushden & Diamond fans - the kids had a group ticket but the fella with it had been slung out for standing up in torrential rain and the rest of them were stranded at Preston Park.

I can't stand idiotic comments against certain players, inane songs and chants and people who think it's ok to stand up in front of those who prefer to sit down. BUT people in the South Stand are now watching the game in almost total silence. Anyone who criticises the many ref/linesman inconsistencies (without swearing!) gets glared at by one of the stewards.

On the other hand the manager/players seem to think the fans lack passion at home games. Time for the club to get its act together over this issue!

 

[Skaville]

I know Mouth and it would be ridiculous if he were banned for what appears to be little more han being himself. However, this would hardly be the first time the club's draconian stewarding policy has backfired.

I used to have a season ticket in E Block. There was one bloke who would try to get the crowd going every week. I knew the face but not the name - A proper Albion fan. Then we play Palace at home and he gets banned for the rest of the season for singing a song with a swear word in it. E Block therefore loses it's entire atmosphere (so a great own goal for the club) and as far as I'm aware, £25 a week from a very loyal supporter.

If we are ever going to fill a 23,000 stadium we will need all the fans we get and it would be nice to have a least a tiny bit of atmosphere to spur the club on. Someone in the club needs to start ensuring some common sense is applied because this has gone way too far.